Gardening scheme to 'bring back nature'

A new community garden project is being launched to "bring back nature" to nature-deprived spaces.

Friends of the Earth and The Co-operative Bank are working on a joint project covering about 1,000 spaces across the UK, including in Barton Hill, Bristol.

City residents are being invited to an afternoon picnic to mark the opening of Aiken Street Community Garden in Barton Hill on 22 May.

Gardener Harriet Wylie said the aim of the project is to create "wonderful havens" that benefit both nature and the local community.

The picnic, hosted by Wellspring Settlement, will kickstart Ms Wylie's new role as a 'Postcode Gardener'.

As part of the scheme, she will oversee a two-year programme to increase biodiversity in the Barton Hill area.

It has already started work to create a community orchard with the help of a group of dedicated volunteers.

Research from Friends of the Earth  shows one in five people in England live in nature-deprived areas without access to green space - be it private gardens, public parks or open fields.

Ms Wylie said: "Despite the challenges of the last few years, this is clearly a community with a lot of resilience, positivity and a desire to create a local area that people can take pride in."

Rianna Gargiulo, from Friends of the Earth, said Barton Hill was identified as one of the areas that would most benefit from this initiative nationwide.

She said: "Making Bristol a little greener brings us one step closer to building the healthier, happier and more harmonious world we know to be possible."

The community picnic launch event will be held from 16:30 to 18:00 BST on 22 May.

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